Chimp-Stimulus Cartoon Raises Racism Concerns — Gov. David A. Paterson, the Rev. Al Sharpton and others expressed concern on Wednesday morning over an editorial cartoon in The New York Post that showed a police officer, having shot a chimpanzee, saying to his colleague …

The White House's missing documents — In his first weeks in office, President Barack Obama shut down his predecessor's system for reviewing regulations, realigned and expanded two key White House policymaking bodies and extended economic sanctions against parties to the conflict in the African nation of Cote D'Ivoire.

Holder: ‘Nation of cowards’ on race — Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday that despite advances, the United States remains “a nation of cowards” on issues involving race. — “Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial …

Holder: “A nation of cowards” — AG Eric Holder says we're a “nation of cowards” on race. … (link) — Funny. When I think of racial cowards, I think of Barack Obama at Jeremiah Wright's church, sitting there week after week, year after year, saying nothing about the separatist demagoguery echoing from the pulpit to the pews.

Palin owes tax on per diem, state says — EXPENSES: Governor received meal money while living in Wasilla. — ldemer@adn.com — Gov. Sarah Palin must pay income taxes on thousands of dollars in expense money she received while living at her Wasilla home, under a new determination by state officials.

Student Expectations Seen as Causing Grade Disputes — Prof. Marshall Grossman has come to expect complaints whenever he returns graded papers in his English classes at the University of Maryland. — “Many students come in with the conviction that they've worked hard and deserve a higher mark,” Professor Grossman said.

ND House Passes Abortion Ban — North Dakota's House of Representatives has passed a bill effectively outlawing abortion. — The House voted 51-41 this afternoon to declare that a fertilized egg has all the rights of any person. — That means a fetus could not be legally aborted without the procedure being considered murder.

Obama has new flag frenzy — White House embraces a backdrop of red, white and blue — Oh, say - can you see? Look. It's President Obama, and he's surrounded by American flags. — They're on the dais in star-spangled glory. They're at the town-hall meeting and the news conference, in bold folds of red, white and blue.

Roland Burris: ‘Stop the rush to judgment’ — In a feisty speech today in Chicago, U.S. Sen. Roland Burris defended himself against growing questions and multiple probes about the circumstances surrounding his appointment by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. — “If I had done the things I've …

KNOWLEDGE MAY BE POWER, BUT INFORMATION IS PROFIT. — Doc-blogger Kevin Pho — no liberal, and no fan of government action — writes in defense of federally-funded comparative effectiveness research. “Physicians need an authoritative source of unbiased data, untainted by the influence …

Patrick Fitzgerald, 50 others, still serving — With all the controversy surrounding the Bush administration's firings of several U.S. attorneys, the question for the Obama administration became: What now? — And with all the muck that the hard-charging Chicago-based U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald …

Jindal Signals Louisiana May Not Take Stimulus Money — Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate, has suggested his state may not be interested in all of the roughly $4 billion allotted to it in the economic stimulus package to be signed by President Obama today.

Is That Fabulous New Toy Safe? — The American International Toy Fair in New York City this week has offered the newest and most tantalizing playthings in the world: walking plastic bugs, 3-D coloring sets, even Barbie, now 50 and wearing a golden outfit for the occasion.

SURREAL — Roland Burris is on TV giving a speech defending himself against allegations he lied about his role in being solicited and then trying to help raise money for Rod Blagojevich to help get the senate seat. And it's basically identical to a series of speeches Blago himself gave …

‘I was wrong about disengagement’ — President Shimon Peres said Wednesday that he erred in supporting Israel's unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005. — “What will happen in the future, we shall not repeat the wrongs we did in leaving Gaza,” Peres said in a question …

Dem exclusive? Reporters jump ship — In three months since Election Day, at least a half-dozen prominent journalists have taken jobs working for the federal government. — Journalists, including some of those who've jumped ship, say it's better to have a solid job in government than a shaky job …

Blue dog Democrats oppose card check — According to Arkansas opponents of the federal Employee Free Choice Act, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may have a tough time getting moderate Blue Dog Democrats to support the union-backed legislation more commonly known as card check.

Pope lectures Pelosi on abortion stance — Pope Benedict XVI made clear to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Wednesday that she cannot advocate for abortion rights and still be a good Catholic. — After meeting with Pelosi (D-Calif.) at the Vatican, the pontiff stressed that Catholic politicians …

Court Reverses Ruling Bringing 17 Detainees to U.S. — A federal appeals court this morning blocked the transfer to the United States of a small band of Chinese Muslims held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. — In a decision released this morning, the three-judge panel …

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